Interesting Modern Europe Topic(s)?

[RedRoverMan]

Hey guys, I'm asking here because this community is, well, awesome. And of course well-versed in the broad topics of history as well

Anyway I'm needing inspiration for a uni research essay that requires me too research a topic, on well, basically anything from the Early Modern period onwards in Europe (1450-). It can be literally anything from the revolutions of 1848 to the music of Sibelius in the formation of Finnish national identity.

Any ways I have to answer a question that I set, so any suggestions as too topics and questions would be greatly appreciated

[Sarmatia1871]

Changing conceptions of syphilis from the 16th century to the present, and its relations to notions of gender and morality.

[RedRalphWiggum]

Why Scots played such a large part in the industrial revolution.

[Velko]

Field Marshal Mannerheim and Homosexuality

[Avernite]

Why Britain sold out its allies in the war of Spanish Succession.

[Nasrallah]

Reformation politics in England from 1603 to 1689.

[Fornadan]

Major newspaper advertisement campaigns in the 1870s

[RedRalphWiggum]

The Irish as non-whites

[Sarmatia1871]

European depictions of transgender in Polynesia, 1774-1952

[Herbert West]

How did we go from this:

Changing conceptions of syphilis from the 16th century to the present, and its relations to notions of gender and morality.

a genuinely interesting and potenitally though-provoking essay to this:

European depictions of transgender in Polynesia, 1774-1952

a joke.


Or were there really transgender(sih) people in polynesia?

[Sarmatia1871]

a joke.


Or were there really transgender(sih) people in polynesia?

Yes. Many Polynesian societies have a conception of a "third sex," which were commented upon by European travelers from the 18th century onwards, in addition to providing subjects of discussion for later sexologists and anthropologists.

Such a project could examine western contact with the outside world and unfamiliar cultures, and changing notions of gender roles, sexuality, exoticism, race, culture and environment over a long period of time in an interesting manner.

[Nasrallah]

Why ending in 1952?

[Capt. Kiwi]

Or were there really transgender(sih) people in polynesia?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fa%27afafine

Among other examples.

Why ending in 1952?

This I'm not sure about, but skimming through wikipedia apparently the first successful gender reassignment surgery was carried out in Denmark in 1952.

[madtemplar0]

The Irish as non-whites

I'm genuinely interested. Why am I non-white? Or at least a mixed race, counting my German/French/Spanish blood?

I'm assuming its something the British cooked up.

[Velko]

I'm genuinely interested. Why am I non-white? Or at least a mixed race, counting my German/French/Spanish blood?

I'm assuming its something the British cooked up.

Why would you be Irish, being that you've born and lived your whole life in America?

[Fornadan]

I'm genuinely interested. Why am I non-white? Or at least a mixed race, counting my German/French/Spanish blood?

I'm assuming its something the British cooked up.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Irish

[RedRalphWiggum]

I'm genuinely interested. Why am I non-white? Or at least a mixed race, counting my German/French/Spanish blood?

I'm assuming its something the British cooked up.

Irish emigrants were often depicted as being closer to 'negroes' then white people, and sometimes considered not white at all. How anybody could consider my milkbottle skin not white is beyond me, but there ya go

[Herbert West]

Irish emigrants were often depicted as being closer to 'negroes' then white people, and sometimes considered not white at all. How anybody could consider my milkbottle skin not white is beyond me, but there ya go

Large, sudden influx of cheap labour threathening established labour in the US, and the issue being redirected/redrawn into a more approachable anti-catholic/racist angle.

[RedRalphWiggum]

Large, sudden influx of cheap labour threathening established labour in the US, and the issue being redirected/redrawn into a more approachable anti-catholic/racist angle.

I know, I'm just joking that if you could see me, it's immediately apparent how ridiculous it would be to call me anything but white.